Take-apart cubical quadrant antenna spreader assembly



A. A. BERRY 3,513,615

APART CUBICAL QUADRANT ANTENNA SPREADER ASSEMBLY May 26, 1970 TAKE- Filed Nov. 12, 1968 FIIGURE 4 Alva A. Berry,

IpJVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent US. Cl. 52--633 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spider-like structural support for quadrant antennas providing releasably assembliable elements to allow prefor-mation of the structure with later assemblage at the erection site. The invention provides paired opposed support structure for plural parallel spaced quadrant antennas of various resonant wave lengths.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Related Applications There are no applications related hereto presently filed in this or any foreign country.

Field of invention This invention relates generally to antenna structures and more particularly to a pre-formed support structure assembliable at the erection site to support parallel spaced two element cubical quadrant antennas.

Description of prior art Parallel spaced element cubical quadrant antennas have heretofore come to be known and used especially in the field of radio frequency receivers. Such antennas include parallel spaced driven and reflector, elements formed of wire arranged in the form of a square with peripheral length related to the frequency of signal received to provide greatest resonance.

By reason of the physical requirements of such antennas their dimensioning has been relatively large, often times in the popular wave band area for amateur radio reception extending to diameters of some 20 to 30 odd feet with spacing between driving and reflector elements of some 6 or 8 feet. This sizing and configuration has generally required such antennas to be formed in the field, substantially at the place of erection.

The two element multi-band cubical quadrant antenna, per se, has heretofore become well known in the radio art. My invention is distinguished from this art in that it provides a novel support structure for such an antenna that may be pre-formed and releasably assembled at the erection site, whereas the prior art did not provide for pre-formation nor releasable assemblage of the support elements of the antenna, at least from units of a size that might be reasonably transported and stored. My invention further provides a particular center joined spiderlike support structure that provides parallel spacing of driven and reflector antenna loops with a minimum of surface area of support such that the wind loads upon the structure are a minimum, thus requiring a support structure of less strength than the common antenna of this type previously known. My antenna further provides a particular, quickly releasable form of joinder of support elements that yet provide adequate strength to serve the required purpose,

SUMMARY OF INVENTION My invention provides a pre-formed, releasably joined spider-like support assembly to carry opposed driven and reflector elements of a 1, 2, or 3 band cubical quadrant antenna to allow prefabrication of the structure with subsequent assemblage at the erection site.

3,513,615 Patented May 26, 1970 To structurally accomplish thisfunction I provide an elongate supporting mast having means to aid its own support in its lower part and terminating in an upper hub assemblage adapted to support opposed spreader arms. The upper hub assemblage carries laterally outwardly extending threaded studs adapted to extend through appropriate holes in attachment plates of the spreader arms and cooperate with threadedly engaged nuts to hold the attachment plates in releasable position thereon.

Two similar spreader arm structures are provided, each with four mutually perpendicularly extending spreader arms communicating with the central attachment plate in an angled fashion so that each spreader arm angles outwardly from the spreader plate and from the other spreader arms. The spreader arm attachment plates are positioned upon the hub with spreader arms extending outwardly in opposite directions so that the ends of each spreader arm assemblage would be includably within one of two spaced parallel planes. Spreader arm extensions are releasably attached to each spreader arm to extend outwardly therefrom to increase the length of the spreader arms to the desired dimension.

Wire antenna elements may then be cut to the required length for proper resonance and established in a quadrential array upon each set of spider arms to provide two substantially planar quadrential elements in parallel spaced relationship to constitute driving and a reflector element for the antenna. Plural bands of loop antennas may be established on the spreaders in the traditional fashion heretofore known for such antennas, if this be desired.

In providing such a structure it is:

A principal object of my invention to provide a two element cubical quadrant antenna formed with a novel spiderlike supporting assemblage of plural pre-formed elements, releasably joinable on the erection site to form a supporting structure of the habitually familiar configuration for such antennas.

A further object of my invention to provide such a structure that has a radial spreader arm assemblage communicating at a central hub and angling outwardly therefrom to terminate with outward end parts in one of two parallel spaced planes Without any horizontal mass extending therebetween to create excessive wind forces upon the antenna structure.

A still further object of my invention to provide such an antenna support that is formed of a plurality of relatively small elements that may be manufactured at a point distant from the erection site, readily transported thereto and releasably assembled thereat.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a structure that is of new and novel design, of rugged and durable nature, of simple and economic manufacture and one that is otherwise well adapted to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part of this application. In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible of change in design and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodiment being illustrated in the drawings, as required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application, and wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of the attachment of spreader arms to upper antenna post showing the various 3 elements of my invention, their configuration and relationship.

FIG. 2 is an exploded orthographic side view of the fastening of spider arm attachment plates to mast hub, showing the nature of attachment in detail.

FIG. 3 is a view of the same structure as FIG. 2 rotated ninety degrees and assembled, to show the variouselements from this attitude.

FIG. 4 is a downward looking or plan view of the top of the upper mass of FIG. 2, showing particularly the upper hub from this position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail and particularly to that of FIG. 1, it will there be seen that my invention generally comprises mast structure carrying in its upper portion hub 11 releasably fastening spreader arm structure 12 thereto.

Mast structure 10 comprises elongate rigid structural element 13 extendible upwardly from support upon some underlying supporting structure to maintain the upper antenna assemblage at a spaced distance above that supporting structure. Means for attachment (not shown) to the underlying support structure are provided in some form heretofore well known in the antenna art. The mast structural element shown comprises a metallic angle element with legs 14, 15 configured to give rigidity to the structure tending to resist bending moments from any direction in a horizontal plane. Other cross-sectional shapes of mast obviously might form the mast element of my invention but I prefer the form illustrated because of its low cost, structural rigidity and relatively light strength to weight ratio.

The uppermost end of element 13 terminates in horizontal hub support plate 16 preferably structurally joined to the mast by welding.

Hub structure 11 comprises vertically upwardly extending hub plate 17 structurally joined to the medial part of horizontal hub support plate 16 again preferably by welding. Plural spaced threaded studs 18 structurally communicate with the vertical hub plate and extend in opposed fashion outwardly from each side thereof. These studs preferably are positioned in the square array illustrated and joined to the vertical hub plate by welding or similar structural joinder. The studs preferably are similarly arranged on each side of the vertical hub plate to provide for interchangability and similarity of the spreader arm mounting structures. Plural nuts 19 are provided to threadedly engage upon the studs to releasably fasten the spreader arm assemblage thereon between the nuts and vertical hub plate.

Spreader arm structures 12 comprise two similar opposed elements each having vertically oriented attachment plate 20 with plural holes 21 all configured to allow the plate to fit over studs 18 and be releasably attached to hub 17 by placement of the nuts 19 in threaded engagement upon the studs. Extending laterally outwardly from structural engagement with attachment plate 20, in a square arrayed fashion, as the edges of a square pyramid, are four spreader arms 22. Preferably these spreader arms are formed of metallic angle elements as illustrated. Extending outward from each spreader arm 22 are spreader arm extension 23, formed of metal, or if non-conductors are preferred, of fiberglass, plastic, wood or the like, configured to an elongate cylindrical shape of appropriate dimension to fit within the included angle of spreader arms 22 and be releasably positioned therein by worm gear operated band clamps 24 of the type commonly used to fasten flexible hoses to metallic couplings. To effect this type of fastening the diameter of spreader arm extensions 23 must be such that when these elements are positioned within the included angle of spreader arms 22, the spreader arm extension extends outwardly from the apex a distance greater than that of the line drawn between the outwardmost extension of the legs of the spreader arms to thusly allow the clamps to cause appropriate force between spreader arm extension and spreader arm to maintain positioning of these elements upon clamp tightening.

One spreader arm assemblage is positioned on each side of the attachment plate, with aid of studs 18 and nuts 19, to form the completed antenna loop support. With this system a continuous loop of wire (not shown) may be supported in the shape of the periphery of a square on each of the lateral extensions of the spreader arm structure to create two such loops-a reflector and a driven loop-in parallel spaced relationship. The wire may be established upon the spreader arms or extensions by any of the methods heretofore commonly used in the antenna arts and may be variously positioned to give rise to different spacing between loops and different sizes of loops. This positioning of the antenna wire upon the support structure is well known in the antenna arts and constitutes no part of my invention per se, the invention residing in the support structure itself.

The various elements of my support structure are preferably formed from metal, but depending upon the characteristics desired for the antenna, they, and especially the spreader arm extensions, may be formed from plastic, wood, or other non-metallics. Obviously, such other structurally rigid materials would be includable within the ambit of my invention.

From the foregoing description it is to be particularly noted that the several elements of my invention might conveniently be manufactured at a point distant from that of assemblage and when disassembled might be much more conveniently transported and stored than when assembled. It is further to be noted that assemblage may be readily accomplished by manual manipulation of parts or with the use of simple, readily available tools.

It is further to be noted that parallel spaced loops established on my invention are maintained in position by the spreader assemblies without a horizontal support communicating therebetween to create greater wind resistance than that encountered with my invention.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth, as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail, rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence, or scope.

Having thusly described my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and what I claim is:

1. A releasably assembliable cubical quadrant antenna support of the nature aforesaid, comprising, in combination:

a mast structure providing a rigid elongate element having means for attachment to a support therebeneath and extendible upward therefrom to terminate in its upwardmost extension in a horizontal hub support plate;

a vertical hub, structurally carried by the horizontal hub support plate, comprising a vertically extending plate having plural spaced studs in particular similar spaced array extending normally outwardly from each side of the plate;

similar opposed spreader arm structures releasably fastenable upon each side of the hub structure, each spreader arm structure comprising a vertically oriented attachment plate having plural holes arrayed for extension of the hub plate studs therethrough and plural spreader arms extending in a laterally angled configuration outwardly therefrom; and

plural nuts threadedly engageable on the vertical hub studs to releasably fasten the spreader arm attachment plates thereon.

studs to releasably fasten the spreader arm attachment plates thereon.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein each spreader References Cited arm structure comprises four spreader arms} each extend- UNITED STATES PATENTS mg perpendicularly to the other as the edges of a square t pyramid and terminating in a plane parallel to and at 970,751 9/1910 Prank}? 248-40 a spaced distance outwardly from the spreader arm at- 2,640,932 6/1953 Robbms 9 tachment plath 5 2,680,196 6/ 1954- Fox 343892 *3. The invention of claim 1 with at least part of the 4 10/1961 Wolf 211-407 spreader arms having spreader arm extensions extending outwardly therefrom and releasably attached thereto JOHN MURTAGH, 'Y EXamlnfif by band-like clamps extending peripherally about the communication between. L 10 Us 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the mast and 343-890 spreader arms comprise L-shaped metallic angle elements. 

